


Dance With Me

by TheBadIdeaBears



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dance, Alternate Universe - Strictly Come Dancing Fusion, Ballroom Dancing, Competition, F/M, Slow Burn, Tamaki can't dance, professional dancer Haruhi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-26 14:06:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10788225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBadIdeaBears/pseuds/TheBadIdeaBears
Summary: Tamaki signs up for an anniversary series of Strictly Come Dancing. Too bad his partner didn't sign up for his terrible dancing. Looks like Haruhi is going to have to whip him into shape!





	Dance With Me

**Author's Note:**

> Written for New Year 2017 by Holly for Pandora. Songfic for 'Shut Up and Dance' by Walk the Moon.

“You're doing what?” Kyouya asks, nearly choking on his drink and looking at Tamaki as if he's just said Enoch Powell raised some good points.

“I am taking part in an international anniversary season of Strictly Come Dancing,” Tamaki replies.

“Why?” Kyouya asks.

“There's going to be a lot of celerities from all over the world doing it,” Tamaki says, half avoiding actually answering the question. “It's like a big thing that they want to do because the show's been running for twenty years.”

“Yes, that's all very well and good, but that still doesn't answer why,” Kyouya says, trying again.

Tamaki shrugs. “It will be a lot of fun, I'll get to go to England and I'll get to meet lots of new people.”

“Okay, that I understand,” Kyouya says re-adjusting his glasses. “There is just one problem in all of this.”

“Yes?”

“You can't dance to save your life.”

“Ah... that...”

“Don't you 'ah that' me like you've forgotten! Remember Mori-Sempai's wedding,” Kyouya says.

“That was embarrassing, yes,” Tamaki admits, grimacing at the memory.

“I don't think embarrassing is a strong enough word for that train wreck,” Kyouya says.

“Well, who knows, I may have an amazing teacher and do really well,” Tamaki says, trying to stay optimistic.

“Maybe... although, if it's all the same to you, I won't be placing any bets on you to win just yet,” Kyouya says.

“Thanks...”

 

The very first episode of every series of Strictly Come Dancing is shot in September. Tamaki had gone to England early so that he could see a few sights and find somewhere to stay during the competition. The hope had been that it would calm his nerves before the filming and meeting the woman who is going to be moulding him into a competent dancer. It hasn't helped much and, as he stands with Tess Daily, as one of the last three to be introduced to their professional partners, he really starts to feel the nerves.

The three women left who could be his potential partner are all beautiful and intimidating in their own way and he can't quite manage to look any of them in the eye. _Pull yourself together man_ , his brain snaps at him. _Bring back the Prince from your high school days: he's still there, he's just gained a decade or so!_

“Next up we have business tycoon Tamaki Suoh,” Tess says and Tamaki goes over to join her. “How are you doing? You nervous?”

“A little,” he admits but manages to keep the smile on his face, rather than grimacing. _God this is terrifying!_

“Well I can now reveal that your dance partner is going to be...” Tess says and he feels his stomach drop. The dramatic pause only serves to make him feel worse as he tries to work out which of the remaining ladies is going to be his partner for the next four months. _Oh god the suspense is killing me!_ “Haruhi Fujioka!”

The woman furthest away from him with cropped brown hair begins to dance over to him as the band strikes up. Tamaki's eyes zero in on the sway of her hips, taking in the curve of her waist as he looks up into the most beautiful face he has ever seen. His heart stops and his breath catches in his throat as the tiny beauty slips her arms around his neck and pulls him into a hug. She must have been told to do that because when she pulls away her smile doesn't quite seem to meet her eyes.

“So Tamaki how are you feeling now?” Tess asks. “Are you happy with Haruhi as your partner?”

“I am yes,” Tamaki replies, a little speechless and unable to stop the grin that spreads over his face.

“And Haruhi are you happy with Tamaki as your partner?” Tess asks turning to her.

“I'm very much looking forward to working with him,” Haruhi says smiling.

“Well you two head upstairs and join the rest of them,” Tess says.

Haruhi takes Tamaki's hand, as he's still too busy staring at her to do anything, and leads him up the stairs to join the other celebrities who already have partners. As they reach the top of the stairs Haruhi gives his hand an almost painful squeeze as she pulls him down so that she can whisper in his ear.

“You had better be good,” she hisses, “because I'm not messing around here.”

_Oh lord, is she in for a surprise..._

 

“Again!” Haruhi snaps as Tamaki tries, and fails, to get his steps right for the fourth time in a row. _Why did the first dance have to be a Samba..._

“Can we take a quick break?” Tamaki pants, placing a hand over his chest to try and catch his breath.

Haruhi glares at him for a moment before she rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “Fine.”

Tamaki almost cries with relief as he sinks to the floor, leaning back against the wall and trying to catch his breath.

So far their first training session isn't going as well as it could be. In fact it's going rather badly. Haruhi has quickly realised that Tamaki can't dance for the life of him so she begins pushing him harder and harder trying to get something that resembles rhythm out of him. He's absolutely exhausted and he can barely breathe through the stitch in his side. Haruhi, on the other hand, seems absolutely fine as she leans against the wall, typing away on her phone.

Despite how much of a task master she is turning out to be Tamaki can't help being absolutely besotted with her. The curve of her back as she leans against the wall, the way she bites her lip as she concentrates on her phone and the way that she doesn't even have to look up to know that he is staring at her so intently.

“Stop staring at me,” she says.

Tamaki shakes his head and looks away. “Sorry.”

“It's fine,” Haruhi says, still not looking up from her phone.

“Can I ask you something?” Tamaki asks after a pause.

“Depends,” Haruhi replies.

“You've already won three international championships and came second in the world championships,” Tamaki says.

“So you have access to Google,” Haruhi shrugs, “what's your point?”

“Why did you suddenly decide to do this show?”

“My dance partner wanted to because he thinks he can find himself a boyfriend so I decided to indulge him,” she replies. “Unfortunately I didn't expect to be partnered with someone quite so useless.”

“I'll learn,” Tamaki says.

“You'd better.”

“With all those competitions under your belt don't you think this routine seems a little easy?” Tamaki asks before he can stop himself.

“Then why do you suck so much?”

“I meant easy for you,” he clarifies, feeling chastised.

“It is.”

“So you are holding back.”

“Of course I am, you're a terrible dancer,” Haruhi says, finally looking up from her phone to fix him with a pointed look.

“So if I get better will you stop holding back?” he asks.

“If you get better,” she says flatly. She sighs and throws her phone into her bag and claps her hands together. “Right, breaks over. Get up, we'll go again from the top.”

 

Training is exhausting. Half of it is spent with Tamaki struggling to breathe from the exertion and the other half with Haruhi yelling at him in Japanese, occasionally switching to yelling at him in English when the cameras are on them. He does feel as if he's getting better... well he can remain on his feet for the whole dance and that is better than he had done in the first session. Haruhi still doesn't seem to have warmed up to him though.

The first night of the competition isn't as much of a success as he would have liked. Tamaki allows his nerves to get the better of him and he messes up his steps a few times. He can see Kyouya shaking his head and covering his eyes in the front row. _Oh well, at least he turned up to watch..._ The dance seems to take forever but finally it's over. He just about takes in the comments from the judges and his heart sinks at the end of the night he realises that he is third from the bottom.

“It's okay,” Haruhi tells him as they finish filming for the night, “it's only the first week. If you put the work in you can improve. You don't totally lack the capacity.”

“Was that a compliment?” Tamaki asks with a smile. He's pushing his luck and he knows it but this is the first time Haruhi has paid him something that resembles a compliment and he doesn't want to waste it.

Haruhi rolls her eyes. “Don't get too used to it.”

 

The following weeks are no better than the first. Haruhi still pushes him to his absolute limits but Tamaki still can't seem to get it. No matter the dance, no matter the routine, there seems to be something that just isn't sticking in his head. The fact that it is Week Six and he is still near the bottom of the leader board every week isn't doing anything to improve Haruhi's opinion of him, in fact it seems to be getting worse and Tamaki didn't think that was even possible.

For yet another week they manage to scrape by on the public vote again and Tamaki is relieved. For whatever reason the public seems to really like him ( _probably cause you're pretty_ , Kyouya had said when he asked him) and all he asks for is the chance for another opportunity to improve.

He runs a hand through his hair as he leaves his dressing room for the evening. What he needs is a stiff drink and a good night's sleep. He looks up and he sees Haruhi down the corridor, still in her backless dress and carrying her heels, and he runs to catch up with her.

“Haruhi!”

She turns and sighs when she sees him. “What?”

“I... I just wanted to apologise again for this evening, I don't know what happened,” he says. He hates the fact that his poor dancing is reflecting badly on her (and not jut because he's more than a little attracted to her). “I'll do better next time, I promise I will.”

Haruhi rubs a hand over her face. “So you keep saying.”

“I will get better I know I will,” he says. He's losing so much confidence and if he can just get a little bit better then he might be able to claw some back but with the way that she is glaring up at him he feels as if he will burst into flames. Now that she's in a pair of beaten up old trainers rather than her heels he realises just how tiny she is. _She's so cute..._

“Listen I don't want to be one of those people who coasts their way through the competition for longer than they should because the public loves their partner. It's not who I am. I want us to do well because I can actually teach you to be a good dancer so either you shape up or drop out, understand?”

Tamaki stares at her as her words slowly sink in. “O... okay...”

Haruhi turns and begins to walk away without a second glance back. “Be at training early tomorrow morning, show me you're really serious.”

“I will,” Tamaki says even though he knows she can't hear him.

 

“Are you ready for this?” Tamaki asks as he and Haruhi stand waiting to start their waltz. Tamaki actually feels rather confident – this dance actually seemed to stick this week.

“Don't get too cocky,” Haruhi tells him. “You still have to get through the dance before you can celebrate.”

“But you at least think I've improved from last week?” he asks, flashing her a grin.

Before she can answer the booming voice of the announcer fills the studio. “Dancing the waltz will Tamaki Suoh and his dance partner, Haruhi Fujioka, please take to the floor.”

Haruhi slips her hand around the arm he is offering her. “Shut up and dance with me.”

The music starts and they step out onto the dance floor. Unlike the previous weeks Tamaki doesn't feel nervous. He feels as if he actually knows what he's doing this time. All he can think about is Haruhi and the way that she is smiling up at him. He even forgets that there is a studio full of people watching him as well as millions of viewers watching on the television.

Finally the dance is over and he's still riding the high so when Bruno Tonioli calls him 'sensational, like a fairy tail prince' he's even more ecstatic. Darcey Bussell spends a good few moments gushing about his 'beautiful top line' and even stony faced Craig Revel Horwood tells him 'this is your dance darling'. Tamaki spends the rest of the night on cloud nine, on top of the world and so pleased with his improved performance.

It is short lived though as, later on in the evening, Tess reveals that Tamaki and Haruhi are in the dance off, despite being near the middle of the leader board. As they stand waiting to go on for the second time Tamaki can feel himself shaking. A warm hand links fingers with his and gives his hand an encouraging squeeze. He looks down at Haruhi.

“I know what you're thinking and stop it,” she says.

“What?”

“Your nervous.”

“Well yes,” Tamaki says as if that should have been obvious. “This may be the last time we dance together.”

“So just enjoy it then,” she says.

“But...”

“Don't you dare look back at your previous performances,” Haruhi says suddenly sharp. “Just keep your eyes on me and go for it.”

“Okay,” he says nodding. He doesn't have much time to think on it any more than that before the announcer's voice fills the studio.

“Dancing the waltz, will Tamaki Suoh and his dance partner, Haruhi Fujioka, please take to the floor.”

Haruhi gives his hand a squeeze before slipping her hand onto his arms and follows him out onto the dance floor.

Tamaki does as he's told and keeps his eyes on her for the entire dance, like they are the only two people in the world. He tries not to stay too much inside his own head otherwise he knows he'll mess up. All he does is dance with her as if no one is watching them and this is the last time they will ever dance together.

After they have finished dancing the other pair (Haruhi's professional partner, Kaoru, and a singer named Joss that Tamaki has never heard of before) perform their dance again. Before Tamaki knows what's happening he's up in front of the judges again, about to find out if he's totally blown it once and for all or not.

“Craig,” Tell says turning to the end of the judges panel, “who would you like to save and why?”

“For the vast improvement, not just from last week to this but from the first dance to this which I must base this on, I would like to save Tamaki and Haruhi.”

 _Oh my god!_ Tamaki can't quite believe it. All he needs is two more votes and he's through to next week.

“Darcey,” Tess says and Tamaki feels his stomach clench in anticipation, “who would you like to stay in the competition?”

“Well both of you danced incredibly well but, for me, one couple shone just that little bit more and that couple is Tamaki and Haruhi,” Darcey says.

Tamaki can barely believe what's happening. He's actually getting through on his own merit! _Just one more vote... why does this have to take so long?_

“Bruno,” Tess continues, utterly oblivious to Tamaki's internal crisis, “who do you think deserves to go through to next week?”

“On this performance alone, ignoring everything else, Tamaki and Haruhi,” he says.

Tamaki could cry with happiness, especially when Haruhi wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him into a hug. The rest of the world is just a blur – all he can focus on is the fact that he got through to the following week on his own dancing ability alone. It doesn't help his fragile state when Haruhi smiles up at him and she looks so beautiful he thinks he might die.

Once all the excitement is over and the cameras are off Kaoru turns to the both of them and grins.

“You guys were amazing tonight,” he says.

“Thank you,” Tamaki says. He still can't quite believe this is all happening and he thinks part of him might still be dreaming.

“So how did the boyfriend hunting go?” Haruhi asks.

“Alas not well,” Kaoru says, sighing theatrically. “Too many painfully straight men competing.”

“Shame,” Haruhi says grinning at him.

As they talk Tamaki feels a hand on his shoulder. He turns to see Kyouya standing behind him.

“Evening.”

“Now that was rather impressive,” Kyouya says grinning at him.

“Thanks,” Tamaki says feeling more than a little relieved. It is starting to sink in now – he has actually gotten through because he pulled it out of the bag and became a better dance for the first time in weeks!

“Now you just need to do that every week.”

“That is the plan.”

“By the way,” Kyouya says suddenly, fixing a predatory gaze in Kaoru's direction, “who's the red head?”

“Haruhi's professional dance partner,” Tamaki says, only realising why Kyouya is asking as a smirk spreads across his face. “Kyouya no...”

“Kyouya yes!”

“Look I really want to get on with Haruhi – she's finally starting to think that I'm not completely useless – so please don't sleep with her professional partner and never call him back afterwards.”

“Who says I'll never call him back?” Kyouya asks.

“But...” Tamaki begins to protest but he can't think of a way to make his argument coherent. In the end he doesn't have to as Kaoru seems to notice Kyouya.

“Hey,” he says turning to Tamaki but looking Kyouya up and down as he teases his bottom lip between his teeth, clearly liking what he sees, “who's your friend?”

Before Tamaki can answer Kyouya offers Kaoru his hand. “Kyouya Ootori.”

Kaoru looks him up and down before taking his hand and shaking it. “Kaoru Hitachiin.”

Without warning Kyouya lifts Kaoru's hand to his lips and presses a kiss to the back of it. “Charmed.”

“So...” Kaoru says, obviously more than a little flustered by this bold move, “tell me, Mr Ootori, do you dance?”

“I would love for _you_ to teach me,” Kyouya replies, smirking suggestively.

“How about some dinner and I can show you some of my signature moves?” Kaoru asks.

“Sounds perfect,” Kyouya says. He turns to Tamaki with a smirk. “Have a good evening,” he tells him before following Kaoru off the dance floor and out of the studio.

“Utterly shameless,” Tamaki mutters under his breath and shakes his head as he watches them leave.

“Which one?” Haruhi chuckles.

“Either,” Tamaki replies.

Haruhi laughs and the sound is like music to Tamaki's ears. She slips her hand in his and leads him off the dance floor, towards the dressing rooms. “You were amazing tonight, she tells him.

“But we were in the dance off,” he replies.

“Yeah but you really stepped up your game and I'm proud of you.”

“Thank you,” Tamaki says. And than she does something he doesn't expect: she places her hand on his shoulder, reaches up and kisses him on the cheek. He stares down at her totally bewildered. She just smiles up at him and gives his shoulder a squeeze.

“See you at training tomorrow,” she says before she turns and heads off down the corridor, him unable to take his eyes off her.

“See you tomorrow,” he says, more to himself than to her, his voice more than a little dreamy as his fingers reach up to gently brush his cheek. _Well that was unexpected..._

 

“So Tamaki,” Zoe Ball asks as he and Haruhi sit on the sofa of the 'It Takes Two' set a few days later, “competition's heating up, how does it feel to still be in at this stage?”

“Amazing!” he replies. “I mean I'm so grateful to everyone who has voted for us, to the judges for thinking we deserve to still be here but, mostly, to this amazing woman right here.” He turns to smile fondly at Haruhi and his heart leaps as she smiles back at him and he realises it's not just the smile she puts on for the cameras.

“Are you two enjoying working together?” Zoe asks.

“So much,” Tamaki all but gushes, beaming. “Haruhi is an amazing dancer and she has the patience of a saint to be able to put up with my previous performances over the past couple of weeks.”

“Yes because the waltz does seem to be your dance,” Zoe says. “Your highest score so far and even praise from Craig! Can we expect more like that over the next couple of weeks?”

“I hope so,” Tamaki chuckles.

“What do you think Haruhi?” Zoe asks turning to her.

“You know what, from the last few weeks to this week just gone and seeing what he's doing in training this week he's improving so much, so quickly and I'm really proud of him,” Haruhi says beaming at him.

Tamaki's heart is hammering in his chest as he looks from Zoe to Haruhi to see that smile on her face. It lights up her entire face and she looks happier than he has ever seen her. He wants to keep her smiling like that for as long as he possibly can.

“So this week you're dancing the tango,” Zoe says, her voice bringing Tamaki back to the real world, “how is that going?”

“Pretty well... I think,” he says with a grin in Haruhi's direction.

“Yeah,” Haruhi says, grinning back at him, “he's doing pretty well.”

 

Over the next few weeks Tamaki notices a difference in their training as well. While Haruhi still pushes him to the limit of his abilities she definitely shouts at him less and when she does catch him staring and has to tell him 'oi eyes on my feet' it is now said with a playful smile. It feels to Tamaki as if they are getting on a lot better as well – he often brings her coffee in the morning and she brings him pastries when she goes out to the bakery and he has done a good job.

What has passed between them is slowly blossoming it a beautiful friendship and Tamaki is just so happy that she is happy. Nothing lifts his heart more than seeing Haruhi smile and it's when he realises this that he realises just how madly in love with her he is falling and he has no idea what to do about it.

“So what do you think I should do?” he asks Kyouya as they catch dinner after he has finished training one day.

“What do you want to do?” Kyouya asks.

“I have no idea.” Tamaki runs a frustrated hand over his face. “I mean I really like this woman: she's amazing but if I tell her that I'm romantically interested in her then that could really mess up our professional relationship.”

“Don't a lot of the celebrities on this thing end up dating their professional partners anyway?” Kyouya asks.

“Only some of them and those relationships never last,” Tamaki replies.

“So if you get into anything with this woman you want it to be a long lasting thing?”

“Well yes I would like to,” Tamaki replies, “but I really don't want to mess up what we have at the moment.”

“You have just started coming top all the time,” Kyouya agrees.

“Exactly and if I tell her that I have feelings for her and she doesn't return them that could be quite awkward,” Tamaki says.

“It could potentially cost you the competition.”

“Do you can see my moral dilemma here?” Tamaki asks.

“That is a tough one,” Kyouya says.

“Yeah...”

“So are you going to do anything at all or are you just going to keep quiet and let her walk out of your life when it's all over?” Kyouya asks.

Tamaki shrugs in response. “If I do anything it will be after the competition is over.”

“That is a sensible decision,” Kyouya says. “Also, who knows, she might actually go out with you if you win.”

“This is true,” Tamaki says, nodding. “Anyway enough about me, what about you and that partner of hers? What's going on there?”

“Oh Kaoru?” Kyouya says with a smirk. “He's a lot of fun.”

Tamaki raises an eyebrow at him. “That sounds ominous. Have you slept with him yet?”

“Of course I have,” Kyouya shrugs as if that should have been obvious.

“And did you call him back?”

“Yes,” Kyouya says with another shrug that says that should have been obvious as well.

“Wait, what?”

“I called him back after I slept with him,” Kyouya says again as if that would help alleviate some of Tamaki's confusion. “In fact I'm meeting him after this, he's coming to my place.”

“But you never call people back after you sleep with them,” Tamaki says, still trying to take this in.

“Well I did with him.”

“He must really be something special to make Kyouya King of 'Hit It and Quit It' Ootori go back for a repeat performance,” Tamaki teases.

Kyouya just smiles as he takes a sip of his drink. “Oh shut up.”

“I wonder, is this maybe the beginning of love?” Tamaki asks, grinning cheekily at him.

“Maybe you should be worrying about your own love life and what you're going to say to Haruhi when you finally tell her how you feel about her,” Kyouya says smirking.

“Touché.”

 

By the time it is Week Fourteen, and the final of the competition, Tamaki has been at the top of the leader board every week for a good few weeks. Both he and Haruhi are incredibly happy, Haruhi especially and that makes Tamaki even happier.

When it comes to the very final show Tamaki's nerves have started to get the better of him again. He thought he had gotten over this! _It's just one more dance_ , he tells himself, _just one more to get through, you can win this as long as you don't fall to pieces now._ He feels Haruhi's hand slip into his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah, I'm fine,” Tamaki lies. He knows he shouldn't be lying but he doesn't want to worry her or make his own nerves even worse.

Haruhi chuckles. “I've known you long enough and I know you well enough by now to know when you're lying so what's really up?”

“Nothing, I'm just nervous,” he admits after a pause.

“Well don't be,” Haruhi says smiling at him. “You can do this. You're amazing in training and you'll be great, I know you will.”

“I hope so.”

“You've done amazingly so far,” she says. “Don't sell yourself short.”

“Okay,” Tamaki says.

“And if you're still nervous just pretend that it's only the two of us in the training room again.”

“Okay,” Tamaki says, nodding. _That I can do..._

“Dancing the Samba, will Tamaki Suoh and his dance partner, Haruhi Fujioka, please take to the floor,” the announcer says.

“You ready?” Haruhi asks as she takes his arm.

“As I'll ever be,” Tamaki replies before leading her out as the music begins to sound all around the studio.

As they dance the world begins to melt away and all Tamaki can think about is Haruhi; the sway of her hips, the way her eyes sparkle as she smiles at him and the way she moves with him, coaxing him into more bold and daring steps. She's pushed him to be the best that he can be over the course of the competition and, for once, it doesn't feel as if this is only a challenge for him. An unspoken conversation passes between them as she sees the nerves in his eyes.

'Don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me'

'You're holding back'

'Shut up and dance with me'

There is a chemical, physical tension between them but it seems to be helping rather than hindering. Tamaki is helpless to the pounding bass, the fading lights and the way Haruhi is pressed against him while they're in hold. When it comes to the climactic lift he catches her and places her on his shoulder with ease, happy in the knowledge that he would never have been able to do that at the start of the competition. _I've come so far and it's all thanks to her._

As he places her back down on the floor their bodies press together, his arms wrapped around her waist and hers for a brief moment still drape over his neck. The world seems to stop and it is just the two of them. He can't be as in the moment as he would like to be – he has to remind himself that he is in a studio full of people, it's not just the two of them in the training room – otherwise he would just say 'to hell with it' and kiss her.

Finally the dance comes to an end and, breathing heavily with adrenaline coursing through his veins, Tamaki pulls Haruhi into a slightly sweaty hug. It's the first time he has initiated the post-dance hug and a part of him really doesn't want to let her go but he knows he has to. No matter what happens tonight he knows that he has to tell her how he feels about her – he can't just let her walk out of his life after all of this. _This is my last chance..._

The comments from the judges are amazing, all four of them gushing about what an amazing dance it was and how much he has improved from where he was at the beginning and Tamaki can't keep the smile off his face. Beside him he can feel Haruhi glowing with pride and when the scores come in with their third perfect score of the night the both of them are absolutely ecstatic.

Tamaki remembers the first time he was scored a ten and the first time he got a perfect score of forty and how over the moon he had been. Now to have three in one night and end all of his dances with a perfect score of one hundred and twenty is more than he could ever have asked for. _This is the best night of my life!_

At the end of the night Tamaki stands with Haruhi, alongside the other couple – a British actress named Eleanor (very sweet, in a period drama set in Cornwall... wherever that was) and her partner Kevin, both of whom Tamaki got on very well with – waiting to find out which of them has won. Haruhi discreetly links her fingers with his and gives his hand a squeeze. He hugs her just that little bit tighter.

“The votes have been counted and added to the judges scores and we can reveal that the couple with the highest score, and this years' Strictly Come Dancing champions are...” Claudia Winkleman says before the much longer than necessary pause begins. _It doesn't matter what happens_ , Tamaki thinks to himself, _I proved to Haruhi and myself that I can do it and that's all that matters. … Oh my god! Can they just hurry up and say it already!_ “Tamaki and Haruhi!”

The world seems to stop for the second time that night.

_Did that just happen?_

_It did just happen, oh my god!_

He's brought back to earth by Haruhi's arms around his neck pulling him down into a hug and before he realises what is happening her lips are pressing against his. The world comes to a grinding halt yet again as she kisses him. The feel of her lips on his is perfect: they're soft and warm and have just the right amount of pressure to make his knees weak.

Before he can fully appreciate what's happening her lips are gone and there is a flurry of activity around him. People are patting him on the back, he's being hoisted onto the shoulders of some of his fellow competitors and everyone is congratulating him. Both Tess and Claudia want to talk to them once the commotion has died down and Tamaki answers all their questions dutifully but he's still a few minutes behind, trying to work his head around what has just happened. _I actually did it... well damn..._

 

By the end of the night Tamaki is exhausted and ready to flop face down into bed. He looks at his watch, it's just gone midnight and he's beginning to feel it. Even though filming finished a good two hours ago it's still taken this long to regain some kind of calm.

Now that he is on his own he has more time to think about that kiss. _Maybe she was just in the moment_ , he thinks. It was a very emotional time with them being named champions so there was a chance that she was just swept away in everything. He hasn't had a chance to talk to her yet as the two of them haven't had a moment to themselves since the filming ended, hell even being on his own in the dressing room felt like the first time he had had some time alone since about six that morning!

A soft knock at his door catches his attention. He goes over to open it and there stands Haruhi, still in her backless dress from the final dance and those scruffy old trainers of hers. A discotheque Juliet teenage dream. She smiles up at him, shyly, as she brushes a lock of her hair behind her ear.

“Hey,” she says shuffling a little nervously and it suddenly occurs to Tamaki that he has never seen her nervous before.

“Hey,” he says.

“I just wanted to come and say congratulations again,” she says. “You were amazing and I'm so proud of you for how much you improved.”

“There was no way I would have been able to do that without you,” he says. “You were the one who put up with me and pushed me to do my best.”

“I'm still proud of you though,” she says. There is a pause, thick and heavy with an electric tension and Tamaki wants nothing more than to close the distance between them and just kiss her but he waits. “So...” Haruhi finally says, “I wanted to apologise for earlier.”

“What do you mean?”

“I wanted to apologise for kissing you like that,” she says. “It was so forward and I didn't think about how you would feel about it. I mean I've been thinking about it for a while now but I could have picked a better time or place or anything. Anyway it was really out of the blue and I just wanted to come and apologise...”

She's rambling in the most adorable way that he doesn't want her to stop but there is only one way he can make her stop.

Without another word he slips his hand round to cup the back of her head and presses his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. She doesn't react for a moment, seemingly frozen in place by his lips, before her hands reach up to clutch the front of his shirt. He slips his other arm around her waist and pulls her close, loving the soft gasp that leaves her lips as he closes all the distance that was between them. Her lips move against his and her hands leave his shirt to sink into his hair, keeping their lips together.

Finally the two pull away, for breath if nothing else, and Tamaki brushes that lock of hair behind her ear again.

“Well I guess that answers my next question,” Haruhi says laughing softly.

“Then let me ask one,” Tamaki says, “would you like to go and get some dinner with me?”

“It's half past midnight!”

“Coffee then?”

She seems to think this over for a minute before she smiles up at him. “Alright then.”

“Perfect.” He kisses her again before taking her hand in his, linking their fingers together and giving it a squeeze. He turns off his dressing room light for the last time and the two of them leave the studio, Tamaki feeling like he's won twice in one night.

 


End file.
